Metamorphosis of Fibre: Personalities of Czech Lace during the Second Half of the 20th Century)
The conception of lace began to radically change in the late 1950´s. It completely departed from its traditional function and became a three-dimensional monumental piece. The innovative, artistically independent approach towards lace, connected with perfect knowledge of clasic techniques, had encouraged a rich creation of three generations of female artists. Their contribution to the development in the world has been proven many times by the receipt of awards at international exhibitions - the firs award at Expo in Brussels 1958, later Expo in Montreal 1967 and to a number of awards form the International Lace Biennial in Brussels. Now the artists are being sought a new approach to lace only with difficulties.
The publication was issued to accompany the exhibition in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, July – August, 2004.František Drtikol: Photographs from the Years 1918–1935)
The book offers a selection from Drtikol’s oeuvre dated to between 1918 and 1935, showcasing other fascinating facets of Drtikol’s artistic legacy beside his classic works. The publication is a continuation of “František Drtikol: Photographs from 1901-1914” and the album entitled “From Large and Little Courtyards of Old Prague”, prepared by UPM in collaboration with Fondation Neumann of Switzerland in 1999.
After World War I, having exhausted Art Nouveau themes, Drtikol embraced a new, distinctive artistic idiom that brought him to geometric compositions in the early 1920s. These images culminated in photographs implementing architectural elements, which gradually became a balanced component of his “still-life” photos, alongside his nudes. In the 1930s, he created a series of photographs, in which he supplanted the live model with staged silhouettes of paper figurines, combined with compelling lighting effects. According to the artist, by stylizing female proportions, “…I idealized the body and created a type of my own”. The final stage of Drtikol’s creative career was influenced by his interest in philosophy, Christian faith and Buddhism. A collection of photographs was produced along these lines, with purely abstract forms.
The publication was issued to accompany the exhibition in the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague, March – June, 2004.